On a scale of 1-10, how are you enjoying or hating this lockdown ?

[Lardlizard]

1 being hating it
10 bring loving it

I’m kinda about 5
But it might fall lower as time goes on

Things I’m enjoying more time with the kids, actually playing rather than doing tasks all the the time or quite a lot of the time

The weather has been kind

Lucky enough to have things to entertain is like games garden toys crafts cooking photography books

But sad about missing family n friends, and missing going out on days out, holidays, shopping, restaurants, seaside theme parks

Hoping people can come out of this more grateful for what they have and those around them and realise how important supermarket workers are and bin men, food production people, government people,all staff that work somewhere medical inc the cleaners
People hopefully realise every single person is important

1

About an 8. My worry is my teenage son who is used to going to the gym twice a day, going to college, working plus his girlfriend! He goes for bike rides but is getting increasingly frustrated. He's a 2 for sure. I expect a blow out soon.

What's up Mascotte?

1/10, would not recommend.

1 Ds anxiety through the roof and everyone has bruises to show for it. Have 3 close family members on the front line and one has it.

@crankysaurus thanks.. I’m just really struggling and full of self pity! I’m a single parent and have no work but complicated situation so no government help. Really lonely and all my usual wholesome activities I undertake to keep me sane I can’t do. Can’t settle to anything and alternate between frantic and catatonic. And I feel like an outsider as all the fucking positivity and rainbows around are just making me grumpy. And I’m scared it’s going to go on for ages, and I worry that the world will be done as people can’t afford it and children will suffer.

Bet you’re glad you asked !

I'll go 6. Loving being with my wife more, as she has been working from home for the last month and we have had a right giggle. Not a cross word in all that time, must be a record after 24 years together

As far as our boys are concerned, they are 13 and 18, so are pro's at self isolating, no problem with them at all.

Only gave a 6 as the longer this goes on, the more concerned I will be over my job, projects are starting to go on hold and there is only so long they can sustain 260 of us, which is the amount of people in our business unit.

About a 9. I miss the garden centre and that’s about it.... but... I fully appreciate this is because I am lucky enough to have enough indoor and outdoor space and love spending time with my immediate family.

I do however think a lot about those people who don’t have those luxuries and how difficult it must be for them not being able to get space (physical or mental), and some of the stats on domestic violence increase make me incredibly

7/8. Love spending days in the garden. Reading and baking lots. However I have a constant knot of anxiety in my stomach and I’m worried about my parents.

I'm about an 8 or 9. Kids are 11, 14 and,16 and have made friends with each other and I am loving spending time reading, watching netflix, doing house stuff, chatting to dh etc. We walk the dogs together every day. Our life is normally stupidly busy, we both work full time and all three dcs do sports so out with 2 of them at least each evening. Weekends are completely taken up with sports. I dont normally see much of dh. I am going to have to make some changes when this is all over.

8 or 9 here. Life feels pretty normal as a nurse and police family we are working , kids are at school a few days a week and we are spending more time together enjoying each other’s company. I do miss the freedom to just pop out though.

Mascotte, more than happy to ask, I've had better days and worse days. Can you find some alternative things to do to help you get through? And this is all bringing out the helpful and kind side in a lot of people, is there anyone you can call on in real life? It's hard but it'll be okay in the end.

Hi Mascotte

Totally in the same place as you. I can't use my coping mechanisms and staying indoors for 23 hours a day is hideous. Plus the "demands" (as I experience some of them anyway) to enjoy this time, to feel the benefits of it etc. are just making me feel like a failure. I'm just focusing on one day, one moment at a time ad holding the faith that this will end at some point. I'm doing the couch to 5k too as some exercise might help still my inner restlessness which is not helping. I hope you can find some ways to cope too.

Some days an 8. I am generally an introvert and not particularly sociable. I am lucky in that I'm a student and don't have to worry about having lost my job etc and my home is secure. I don't have a big garden but I have a little patio so we can get outside. My partner got to me before the lockdown so we're together and the children are old enough that they're able to entertain themselves when needed but young enough that they're happy to sit and colour or get excited by popcorn and a film in the evening. We have and everyone we love is, so far, safe and well. I'm acutely aware of the privileged situation.

Other days, I'm a 2. I'm still having to write for my PhD study whilst homeschooling children. My partner still has to teach students, albeit from via Zoom, I am vulnerable because of some neuro issues and recent pneumonia and the general low level anxiety I have in 'normal life' is amplified dramatically. Children fall out and couples argue about things that wouldn't matter on a regular Wednesday but because you're all in each other's space and stressed, suddenly they matter a lot.

I've realised I seem to work on a ratio of 3/4 good days followed by a day or two of being quite low and unmotivated. I'm hoping that ratio doesn't swap around.

I do miss a pub lunch though. And a nice fancy dinner that neither of us have to shop for, cook or tidy up after.

Some days a one, some days an eight. I was doing better with the structure of work, but now it’s Easter holidays I am finding it hard. We’ve tried to create a routine, and we are lucky to have a good amount of space and a decent sized garden.

Like many, I am struggling with shopping, because we always had a fortnightly delivery - no car through choice - which we now can’t get. I miss being able to go for coffee, lunch, pop to the shops for a browse.

Worried about the future. My job is secure (teaching) but DP was made redundant at Christmas and was doing short-term work that hasnow ended. I am scared it will take forever for him to find something, and he is a much higher earner than me.

9

Probably about 7 when dh and I arent working. 1 or 2 when we both are. 4 if it's just me working. 6 if dh is working and I'm not.

I'm torn. Finding working from home incredibly stressful. I regularly work as part of a team and it can be difficult at home, despite having access to zoom, phone calls and online chat. It's just not the same. To be efficient in my job I need papers and files but now I'm working from a tiny laptop screen in my kitchen. To make it worse, colleagues have been furloughed so I'm doing twice as much work to try and keep things ticking over. It's incredibly hard and as someone who struggles with anxiety, not sure how long I could keep it up. That said, this Easter weekend I'm feeling incredibly positive and can honestly say I've not felt as relaxed in a long time. There's literally nowhere to go and nothing to do, no challenge of squeezing as much as possible in to the weekend so you don't feel like it's a waste. This weekend I'm feeling complete acceptance of the lockdown and we just need to get on with it as best we can. I've exercised in the morning, opened the windows to let fresh air in, done a bit of tidying and intend to spend the rest of the weekend relaxing and doing things like listening to music and reading, cooking good food and just enjoying my partner's company. It's annoying being restricted but it won't be long before this is over. It's not often we really get an opportunity to just "be" so making the most of the nothingness. Feeling more relaxed than ever and using the time for a bit of self care 🙏

@73Sunglasslover it’s rubbish, isn’t it?

I have loads if things I could/should be doing but I’m really just struggling to keep stuff going.

It’s taken me back to a really dark place I’d spent ages pulling myself up from. I’ve tried to talk to some people, but everyone has their own things just now.

About a 2/3. I feel almost guilty for feeling that way, I have outside space to enjoy and the weather is great but I haven't seen my partner or any friends in over 3 weeks (like most people I imagine!) and it's really getting me down. I struggle with anxiety anyway and the constant sensationalist headlines don't help either. I know it's a terrible and awful situation that needs to be spoken about but it just feels like there's no escape from it sometimes

7-8 this nice weather is helping. Getting a lot of my to do list done. I have a structure / routine. Working a little from home

1. Bloody hating it.

I follow the rules down to a t, maybe that's why I hate this so much. Must be done and all that, but the current state of the world and being locked up inside is depressing me. I have a garden to sit outside, but it's not bringing much joy. I'm not even that extrovert, so it's not missing the social side, I just miss going about my usual business- popping out to the shops at weekend. Going for a wander around town..... I am still working from home. But as I work I finance, I understand that there's only so long companies will be able to keep afloat with no or reduced income. Many people will lose jobs as a result of this. (Before anyone jumps at my throat - better to lose your job than your life - don't, I fully appreciate that, but still, life in debt is not exactly walk in a park!). Many industries will become less relevant and their income will drop. Of course, in time it will pick up, but the short term uncertainty is really worrying me. I worry about the state of economy when we get out of this and it depresses me. Still. Doing it, and I completely understand we're all in the same boat. It would be easier if there was an end in sight, which at the moment there isn't. Honestly, even if they said - by this date, whatever happens, we're lifting it. And if only people actually stuck to the bloody rules! I avoid the shopping, if I can help it as it just stresses me out. Had to pop out this week, as we were low on fresh food, and most people were just blatantly ignoring the 2m distance. Bumping into others. It just made me even more upset - if we can't even do as we're told. Better times ahead!!!!! I think it's fine whichever way you feel about this. Everyone is different.

This is difficult but I think I'm probably around a 6.

Negatives:

DCs are 3 and 1. The elder one is missing nursery and his friends and the younger had just got settled into nursery when all this kicked off so I'm worried about how they'll be when they can eventually return.

I WFH part time and DH is also WFH and on those days I really struggle as the children need constant attention but work is really busy. I end up doing a crap job of both working and parenting and I hate it.

I really miss my friends, being able to just go for a picnic or for a walk in the countryside. I miss going to the gym which was my "me time" and escape from the household. I miss my parents and siblings like mad.

My sister is due to give birth any day and my parents are in their 70s so I'm worried about them.

Positives:

Life is simpler, we're normally always so busy rushing round that it has taught me to just slow down and enjoy the little things.

DH and I are getting on really well, I feel very lucky that we've found we can pull together in a crisis and there's no bickering or tense atmosphere.

We can both easily work from home so there's no money concerns and we have a big enough house with a garden. There's no nice walks locally so that bit is annoying but we are so lucky compared to some others.

Overall this is teaching me to count my blessings so although a tough time, I'm learning something from it.

10

Live next to the lovely Greenwich Park, bakers is still open, lots of books and a terrace to sit on. About 2 years of tv to catch up on.

I could take 6 months of this easily.

6 but I miss going to shops and driving to see family. I miss going for meals and cinema. Some days when I'm at home and weather is nice I'm loving it. Other days it's awful and boring